10/JESUS
10/3 TEMPTATIONS
ADAM AND EVE WERE TEMPTED. God told Adam and Eve they could
eat anything in the garden except the fruit from one tree. The snake who was
very cunning asked the woman if God had told her not to eat the fruit of only
one tree. She said "yes" that was true. The snaked lied to her saying
that to eat the fruit would be good for her. She saw that the fruit looked
delicious and was tempted to eat it. In a temptation one has the opportunity to
do the right or wrong thing. To be tempted is not a sin.
JESUS IS TEMPTED. Before beginning his public ministry, Jesus
was tempted by the devil. In the first temptation, Jesus refused to change
rocks into bread even though he was hungry. In the second temptation, Jesus
refused to jump from the high tower to be saved by God. In the third
temptation, Jesus refused to worship the devil who would give him the whole
world. Jesus refused pleasure, fame, and power. We ask Jesus for help to resist
temptations.
RESIST TEMPTATIONS. While praying in the garden before his
death on the cross, Jesus warned his disciples to resist temptations by
praying. He knew they would be tempted in many ways when preaching the gospel.
The letter of James states that temptations do not come from God but from one's
own evil desires. Temptations also come from the devil and from the world. We
are surrounded daily by many kinds of temptations and need the help of Jesus to
have the strength to resist them.
